Once Upon A Time...

...the Braves had one of the best middle-infield prospects in the game. Because he hailed from a foreign land, the team was allowed to draft and sign him at the tender age of 16. He was soon anointed the shortstop of the future, and his every move was chronicled extensively. He spent his first couple of seasons in the rookie league as the organization waited patiently for his eventual development, and he was declared a top prospect by those who do such things.

A funny thing happened, though. His results as he progressed through the system began to stagnate, and his prospect status began to waver. We still knew his name, but declining results on the field reached the point that he was famous merely for being famous, not unlike Paris Hilton, or her erstwhile progenitor, Jo Anne Worley. Perhaps, though we will never know for sure, he began to flip through brochures offering training in insurance sales in preparation for his impending trip back home.

But a funny thing happened in 2005. A major league team had a need for his services and, defying the low expectations of the disillusioned, he stuck and began to produce. A dream denied morphed into a dream merely forestalled.

Sounds like Wilson Betemit, and it certainly could be. But this is a story about his predecessor. Good on ya, mate!